bilbarstow
Gold Supporting Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2011
- Messages
- 4,037
- Reaction score
- 7,766
Here's the thing about the RnR HOF. It is a business, a tourist attraction. It was established in Cleveland because Cleveland NEEDED something to draw tourists. Now, I'm a member, have been for several years. I have been to the HOF, have even attended the previous year's induction ceremony.
Cleveland is actually a cool city, has a great theater district and several other reasons to visit. But I probably wouldn't have gone there without wanting to go see the RnR HOF. So it did it's part - brought in my tourist bucks, several times.
As a museum, they do a great job. Very cool exhibits, that they are constantly changing up. I've been 4 times, and seen a lot of cool, different things each time I've gone. (I take visitors of mine there - free admission is a perk of membership.) The politics of the induction process is well publicized, and one of the less worthy parts of the museum process. But even Art museums and Historical museums have similar machinations involved, we just don't get to hear about them. You don't know how they have to compete to get the named artist collections exhibits that they use to draw in the public (and even worse when they are courting Patrons).
They have to have Inductees. Every year. Keeps the public invested as time marches on. It's about what sells tickets, as much or more so than who is ACTUALLY Rock and Roll. Yeah, the involvement of Rolling Stone magazine is a little nepotistic, but that may be the mildest condemnation of Jann Wenner ever stated.
Its still a cool place to visit. I'll keep my membership for a few more years, at least. I'm glad I went to ONE Induction ceremony. It was fun, but also a good look behind the curtain of the ceremony. They didn't really treat the artists very well, and the ticket buyers were treated even worse. My expensive tickets were nose-bleed to describe them politely, and it was pretty much impossible to see the stage for most of it. Anything that could be considered "good" seats was devoted to Artists and retinues, or Patrons, or Press. And you KNOW how much money they got for THOSE seats.
It's a BUSINESS. But deep down, so is Rock and Roll.
Cleveland is actually a cool city, has a great theater district and several other reasons to visit. But I probably wouldn't have gone there without wanting to go see the RnR HOF. So it did it's part - brought in my tourist bucks, several times.
As a museum, they do a great job. Very cool exhibits, that they are constantly changing up. I've been 4 times, and seen a lot of cool, different things each time I've gone. (I take visitors of mine there - free admission is a perk of membership.) The politics of the induction process is well publicized, and one of the less worthy parts of the museum process. But even Art museums and Historical museums have similar machinations involved, we just don't get to hear about them. You don't know how they have to compete to get the named artist collections exhibits that they use to draw in the public (and even worse when they are courting Patrons).
They have to have Inductees. Every year. Keeps the public invested as time marches on. It's about what sells tickets, as much or more so than who is ACTUALLY Rock and Roll. Yeah, the involvement of Rolling Stone magazine is a little nepotistic, but that may be the mildest condemnation of Jann Wenner ever stated.
Its still a cool place to visit. I'll keep my membership for a few more years, at least. I'm glad I went to ONE Induction ceremony. It was fun, but also a good look behind the curtain of the ceremony. They didn't really treat the artists very well, and the ticket buyers were treated even worse. My expensive tickets were nose-bleed to describe them politely, and it was pretty much impossible to see the stage for most of it. Anything that could be considered "good" seats was devoted to Artists and retinues, or Patrons, or Press. And you KNOW how much money they got for THOSE seats.
It's a BUSINESS. But deep down, so is Rock and Roll.
